Nurturing transformative spaces to challenge technocratic hegemony: Leveraging informality in Indian cities

Abstract

Urban water governance in India is dominated by engineering-centric, hierarchical systems that marginalise non-technocratic knowledge. We introduce a novel approach in conceptualising and operationalising transformative spaces that leverage informality—characterised by flexibility, adaptability, and creativity—to disrupt these hegemonies and promote culturally situated collaboration. These transformative spaces function as ‘safe-enough’ environments where diverse actors experiment, dialogue, and co-create water-sensitive approach tailored to their contexts. While established methodologies like Transition Management (TM) employ structured transition arenas, we adapt these into a broader and more fluid understanding of transformative spaces, explicitly tailored to India’s urban governance setting. Informality, a prominent mode of governance in India, is harnessed in this framework through three principles: cultivating confidence to challenge regressive power structures, fostering frugality and creativity, and instilling faith in the transformation. These spaces are critical for navigating the complexities of hierarchical governance and enabling more inclusive, pluralistic approaches. This paper explores how transformative spaces, shaped by informality, enable actors to confront entrenched hierarchies and foster meaningful engagement towards water sensitive governance, particularly within contexts characterised by power asymmetries and technocratic dominance in Bhopal and Bhuj. Ultimately, these spaces advance water sensitive governance by creatively framing solutions that move beyond technocratic models and empower local actors.